Tag Archive: iPhone

It all starts with the best of intentions. You want to get some friends together for dinner, or grab drinks with a few colleagues after work, so you send out an invitation via email or group text message. Then things spiral out of control, as people message back and forth about where to go, and what time to meet. Pretty soon you’re entangled in an endless chain of messages that makes you wonder, “What have I done?” But planning events doesn’t have to feel like you’re herding cats.

WePopp and Rundavoo are two mobile apps that aim to make the task of event planning a little more organized. Both are free, and allow you to create events right from your smartphone, and then send out invites where people can vote on details, suggest alternatives and exchange messages all in one place. After everything is finalized, you can lock it down and add it to your calendar.

After using WePopp and Rundavoo to plan various events over the past few days, I wouldn’t recommend either app if you’re just trying to get together with one person. Email or phone is better for that. And if you already have an event with a set venue, date and time, I don’t see any advantage to using WePopp or Rundavoo over something like Evite or Facebook events.

Instead, these two apps are useful for more impromptu gatherings and activities that involve larger groups of people. The voting feature in both of these apps is particularly useful for getting input and nailing down details. But they both have their flaws.

For example, WePopp’s text notifications can get annoying. Meanwhile, Rundavoo crashed on me a few times, and its interface can be confusing. Of the two, I’d recommend WePopp, because it’s easier to use and doesn’t require your invitees to download the app or sign up for an account, though if you don’t sign up you won’t get access to all the features.

WePopp is currently only available for iOS devices, but an Android version is coming soon. I downloaded it to my iPhone 5, and the interface is basic and intuitive. Everyone who I sent an invitation to using both apps preferred WePopp’s interface because it was simple and easy to understand.

To start planning an event, just slide the “Create a Popp” button, and it will take you to a screen where you can choose from a variety of preset invitations: Meal, Drink, Party, Movie, Sport, Weekend or Other. WePopp will then ask you to enter a date, name and description for the event, time, place and invitee list.

You can enter more than one suggestion for each section, so people can vote for their favorite option. I created one for a happy hour, and listed three different locations. It was nice to see at a glance which place had the most votes. I’ve done this before over email, and usually, I have to search through messages to tally people’s responses.

One thing to note: The “Invite friends” section currently sits at the top of the page, above date, time and place, and when I first started using the app, I automatically started filling this section out first. But, after pressing the “check” button, it sent out invites, even though I had yet to fill out the time and place. I think it would be better to put the invite link at the bottom of the page; the company said they are looking to change that in the next version.

Invites can be sent via Facebook or text message. But WePopp can get overzealous with texts. When an invite goes out, your recipients get two messages: One saying that an invitation is on the way, and another with the link. It would be nice if WePopp consolidated that into one message.

Also, when I received a WePopp invite from a friend, it came via text message, even though I had the app. I’d prefer to be alerted via push notification; the company said they’re working to add that in the future.

The good thing about WePopp is that your friends don’t need an account or the app to respond to invites. Instead, they can simply click on the invitation link to open up a mobile site and tap the buttons to RSVP and vote for their favorite choices. Without an account, though, you can’t make other suggestions, and you won’t receive notifications if someone posts a message to the group chat section.

Once everything is decided, you can finalize plans (another text is sent to invitees), and WePopp even gives you the option to add it to your calendar.

Rundavoo works similarly to WePopp. The app is iOS-only for now, but you can also send and respond to invites using Rundavoo’s website. An Android app is planned for the new year.

I found Rundavoo’s interface to be prettier, but it’s slightly more complicated. To start, you can choose from preset invites or create your own. You’ll then be asked to fill in the what, when and where. I like that Rundavoo uses your phone’s location services to populate search results for places (WePopp also does this), and then pulls in images of the business to use in the invite. It also integrates with Foursquare and Yelp.

Like WePopp, you can enter multiple suggestions for people to vote on. But, by default, Rundavoo locks down the venue, date and time, so you have to press the little lock icon to add other suggestions. It’s not a huge deal, but it’s an extra step I’d rather not have to deal with.

Invites can be sent via text or email, but if you send via text, your friends will need to sign up for an account to respond. If sent by email, users can simply click on the links to RSVP, but if they want to add any suggestions, they will need an account. Most of my friends were not thrilled about this, but they did it for me (such good friends, they are). Even then, they said they found the interface confusing.

On the organizer’s side, votes were clearly displayed, but I never received notifications when people RSVPed, even after double-checking my iPhone’s notifications settings. More annoying was the fact that Rundavoo crashed on me multiple times, often when I was in the middle of creating an invitation. But Rundavoo told me they are working on a number of improvements, including the ability to respond via text without an account.

Trying to plan an outing with friends shouldn’t be a frustrating experience, and WePopp and Rundavoo offer an alternative to the back and forth of planning events over email. For now, you’ll get a simpler and more stable experience with WePopp.

The Art of iAd by Stella Artois ‘Ice Lounge’ Campaign would be the 1st iAd to hit UK

The Christmas holidays are closing in, and I am thinking to get the best deals on my favourite liquor. Not to mention that I have already fallen in love with reassure-ably expensive Stella Artois for this Christmas. Recently, Stella Artois launched their ‘Ice Lounge’ campaign, which is considered to be the first UK iAd campaign this Christmas right on your iPhone 4.

Keeping in mind that iAd platform of Apple latest mobile advertising came to Europe in November of this year, I still haven’t seen any of those campaigns yet. Ice Lounge by Stella Artois would be the first one this Christmas. Also I am looking forward to towards watching ads without closing any app on iPhone 4. The beer’s already existing iPhone 4 app is a great piece of ease with its remarkable functions.

The Renault became the first brand to launch iAd campaign in Europe earlier this month while Stella Artois becomes the first one in UK. Its iAd allows fully features interaction with Ice Lounge ad and portrays the heritage of the beer for Christmas. Consumers can interact with the brand in various ways and can also download many assets one of which is ‘the 12 days of Christmas’ soundtrack. Furthermore, the iAd allows users to link to the Stella Artois app and the other products offered by the company.

I just saw that iAd and love the way it represents the beer, spanning over an average of one minute it performs marketing in a really effective way. Through this iAd Stella Artois would be surely rocking this Christmas reaching millions of users on iPhone and iPod touch on many various apps.

I think many of the other brands in UK would consider this strategy an effective one to launch on events like Christmas and we would be seeing such iAds campaign soon.

All the mysteries held to the rest when Apple has officially revealed the new generation of iPad. Rumors and leaked information has entitled the latest version as iPad3. This version is no more known as iPad3. The technological world has swapped its name to the iPad 2012.

The un-boxing of the new iPad is showcasing multiple new features of the product. Apple has given the world something to touch and enjoy the numerous alarming features. Apple has anticipated that this tablet will become the hot selling tablet for the year 2012. In the nutshell, Apple has set the benchmarking features in its new iTouch device.

The list of the features of new iPad 2012 is explained below:

New Processor: Apple has launched new iPad 3 with the A5X processor. This processor has quad core graphics. This has made the iPad3 as strong as any high end desktop. iPad 2 was having the dual core processor and was entitled as the powerful tablets of its time. iPad 3 has set a new benchmark and it will give tough time to the competition.

Retina display: The high definition display of iPad3 is the highest display on any tablet. The screen of the iPad3 works on 3.1 million pixels or 2048 x 1536 pixels. The existing applications of iPad will give high display and user can enjoy the apps with much better resolution. Additionally, the display will enthusiast the developers to launch high graphic apps for iPad3.

Cloud computing: iCloud technology that was lauched back in 2011 is the part of the new iPad3. Users can use the iClouding for directly downloading the apps, photos, songs, calendars and music from iTunes. They do not need to use their iPad memory for storing the data.

Weight and design: The weight of the new iPad3 is 662 grams. This device is 61 grams heavier than the old version. The design of the iPad3 is much similar to that of the iPad2. Apple has not worked on improving the appearance of the iPad.

Camera: The camera in the iPad3 is of 5 megapixels. It has ability to capture the 1080 by 720p of video recording. Moreover, it can work over the 60 frames per second. The camera of iPad3 is improved than its predecessor.

4G LTE: The iPad 2012 is capable of 4G LTE. The iPad3 has great wireless connectivity, as it comes with the EV-DO (3.1 Mbps), dual carrier HSDPA (42 Mbps), HSPA+ (21 Mbps) and LTE (73 Mbps). Users will be able to enjoy high speed connectivity with this device.

Siri technology: The new iPad3 is installed with the siri technology. This will allow the iPad3 to support the voice recognition and the navigations. The new siri technology will support more languages, like French, British English, Australian English, American English, Japanese and French.

Fingerprint proof: The screen of the new iPad3 is fingerprint resistant. It will not make any mark of oil and the fingerprints on screen. The screen is installed with the oleophobic coating.

These magical features have raised the par of competition and set the benchmark for the other tablets. Android will have to work hard for beating the high spec features of iPad 2012.

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Each year, Apple updates the iOS for its valued customers. The upgraded version of iOS offers better performance for the iOS devices. Users of iPhone, iPod, iPad and MAC can enjoy the latest development in their iOS software.

iOS updates eliminates the signs of aging from the smartphones and tablets. Users can enjoy the powering features on their iDevices. There are rumors that Apple will soon launch the upgraded iOS 5 for new iPhone. Stories are still not confirmed and it is expected that upgraded iOS will be introduce in new iPhone, late this year.The updated version of iOS 5 can be enjoyed on iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad, iPad 2, iPad 3 and third and fourth generation of iPods.

Users will be able to enjoy the upgraded iOS on their iDevices without paying a single penny. Stories are there that iPhone with new updated version of iOS will change the entire use of device. Users will get plenty of control on their notifications. They can configure the way for sorting the notifications. They can highlight which apps should and should not send notification by upgrading iOS. Users are allowed to set the things like they want. They can lock the notification screen with new iPhone iOS. They can also use the pass code for unlocking the notification screen. The notification ease can be enjoyed with the updated iOS 5.

With updated iOS 5, users will be able to enjoy the new story of iMessages with their iPhones. They will be able to send and receive the text messages, group messages and MMS messages from other iDevices. iMessages has bestowed the communication platform for the fans of the new iPhone, now they can create their stories. Users will be allowed to send iMessages for free. It will not be added in their message quotas. They can even cancel their texting plans if their friends have iDevices. They just have to upgrade their iOS Software.

The updated iOS 5 will dictate a new story for the success of iPhone. Users will be allowed to have better downloading speed. They can enjoy downloading different apps from the iTunes and enjoy them in great speed. With upgraded version of iOS 5 for iPhone will support the tabbed browsing with safari.

Moreover, the new story about updated iOS 5 iphone version is enhanced features of camera and photo apps. Users will be able to modify the taken snaps in variety of ways. They can enjoy red eye reduction, cropping, rotating and editing in remarkable manner, with upgraded iOS 5.

Similarly, mailing, face timing, Siri, maps, calendars and miscellaneous features can be enjoyed with the upgraded iOS 5. Users can write new stories with their updated iOS 5 iPhone.

Apple has recommended to update the iOS by connecting the device with PC or Mac. The upgrade iOS 5 is in several gigabytes. Users can download it from iTunes by plugging the iPhone on charging. Or else, they can download the new updated iOS software on PC or Mac and then install it in iPhone.

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I worked on the Genius Bar for almost two years, and the most difficult issue to solve was short battery life. It was extremely difficult to pinpoint the exact reason why someone’s battery was draining. I made it my mission to discover the specific reasons for iOS battery drainage. This article is a product of my years of research and anecdotal evidence I gathered in the hundreds of Genius Bar appointments I took during my time as a Genius and iOS technician, as well as testing on my personal devices and the devices of my friends. iOS 7.1 came out recently and brought with it a bevy of design tweaks and performance enhancements. However, some users are reporting poor battery life since the update, and many blogs are reporting it as fact. This is not one of those “Turn off every useful feature of iOS” posts that grinds my gears.

France telecom owned Orange and Facebook has recently announced their partnership for launching Party Call services for group calling. The plan will be going to first go live in France, next summer. In this regards, Mr. Xaviet Perret, VP of Orange strategic partnership has revealed some interesting facts.Party Call is different from the Orange’s old IP calling services like Libon and Skype. It is operating with direct voice networks of Orange and allow group calling in the premises of Facebook. It is in short a bridge between legacy voice and social network. This is first time when Facebook has been involved in linking up with the legacy phone services.Party Call is different from the Orange’s old IP calling services like Libon and Skype. It is operating with direct voice networks of Orange and allow group calling in the premises of Facebook. It is in short a bridge between legacy voice and social network. This is first time when Facebook has been involved in linking up with the legacy phone services.

Perret further shared that Facebook management was pretty excited when we shared this idea with them. They found it quite different than usual Facebook applications. However, it will work same as application, users have to first download the interface and then they will be able to get pleasure from group calling service. It also assures that Facebook will never know about the phone numbers of the users, only Orange will have this information.

Perret describes their plan of action and said they will first introduce and promote this service to their current customers. Orange technical team is still working to roll out this software, yet they have revealed that this plan is for going international after France.

It is already known that Orange has already come up with numerous interesting services related to Facebook including carrier billing and easy access to Facebook on the low end mobile devices. The announcement about Party Call is showing that there is more on card to come.

Now the question is that who will lead Party Call- the Facebook or Orange? Orange is going to drive the seat and for sure this will bring Facebook one step nearer to the telephone services and modify the way it communicates. According to Zuckerberg integration is quite essential and mobile web is quite huge for the Facebook.

Google debut its device with O2, who was their partner at the initial stages in UK’s market. Now Google is bringing its device Nexus 4 to another well known carrier in the market called Three. Nexus 4 is a Smartphone powered with Android 4.2. It will be available from December 13th on Three. Either you can buy it on per month contract of 35 with upfront cost of 29 or it is available pre-paid for 399.99. It is also available for a 2 year contract that offers high on-network talk and text limits along with unlimited data.

This new carrier partner of Google came in market just one month after the launch of Nexus 4. It became popular and made quick sell-outs in the market of UK and other parts of the world as well. The latest Smartphone of Google has been experiencing problem regarding its supply in the market. Either the supply of this Smartphone is very short or its demand is very high, but according to a report Google has improved is shipping time. It will be interesting to see Google expanding its availability in the market.

Nexus 4 might offer good speeds on Three’s network DS-HSDPA. Recently it was revealed that a hack enables the users to switch on LTE on the device manually which is not a good thing for the users of Three. Three is planning to bring its 1800MHz LTE network in the market but this network is not compatible with Nexus 4 AWS LTE. The interesting thing here to note will be that how many people will prefer to buy the Nexus 4 from carriers rather than buying it directly from the Google at cheaper prices and then selecting the network of their own choice.

Facebook is providing means to marketers with vast opportunities, on a one side marketer can save their money by doing virtual campaigns and competitions, on an other hand has provided them an opportunity to opt and keep flourishing their businesses. This is how Facebook is influencing companies not to hire third parties doing their advertisement job.

With the help of this tool, advertisers can put codes on their sites to keep the check on the actions like checkouts/payments or registrations have been driven by an advert on Facebook. In this way marketers can manage their work and can optimize the cost of their campaigns.

The main use of this conversion tool is for direct marketing campaigns to get specific responses from the target audience. The cost per new customer acquisition of most of the companies is reduced. This is most suitable for sites like retails, travel, e-commerce or financial services, says Facebook.

The tester has shown that this tool could be used for less commercial efforts, government associations can use it to track mailing list and it would reduce cost per-conversion rate by 85 percent.

Power editor, ad managers and advertising API are three of the ad products that this conversion tool has made available for marketers. The service is now active.

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When Apple said it had a lot to cover today, they were not kidding. In addition to unveiling a new iPad mini and releasing Mavericks as a free update, among other things, the company also revealed new versions of iLife and iWork for its desktop and mobile operating systems.

Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet software and services, took to the stage today to introduce the refreshed iLife and iWorks apps, saying, “This is the biggest day for apps in Apple’s history.”

All apps have been redesigned to take advantage of OS X Mavericks and iOS 7, and have been updated to 64-bit and integrated with iCloud. The new software will be free with the purchase of any new Mac or iOS device.

ILife, iPhoto, iMovie and Garage Band now offer a simpler and cleaner design. Of the apps, Garage Band received the biggest update. Garage Band for iOS now supports 16 tracks (up from eight). If you have an iPhone 5s or a new iPad, that number jumps up to 32. You can also share songs via AirDrop or work on tracks on multiple devices via iCloud. On the desktop version, a new feature called Drummer adds a variety of drummers that can play along with your songs.

In iPhoto, you can now create photobooks on your mobile device and then have a hard copy shipped to you from Apple. Meanwhile, a feature in iMovie called Movie Theater allows you to watch your iMovie clips across multiple devices as long as they’re stored in the cloud. On the mobile side, you also get picture-in-picture and split-screen options, the ability to speed up or slow down clips and other editing tools.

On the productivity side, the new iWork, which includes Keynote, Pages and Numbers, brings full file compatibility and the ability to collaborate with others via iCloud – a move that puts Apple closer in step with Google and Microsoft in this area.

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Gaming, mobile and audio peripherals are some of the biggest attractions at CES this year even more so than the TV’s and PC’s. However one presence that seemed to rise up and dominate at CES 2013 was the Kickstarter projects. I doubt you’ll get any objection the Pebble Smartwatch stole the show. With over $10 million dollars in funding its release has been long-awaited. The Pebble uses an E-Paper display that allows for an amazing watch display with prolonged battery life. Hit the break for more.

The Pebble is much more than just an E-Paper display watch though. It’s a smartwatch that can sink up to your iPhone or Android device delivering via Bluetooth 4.0 Facebook notifications, Email alerts, TXT messages and weather alerts. Different apps are available for it now that allow you to customize the watch face from a binary watch to controlling the music on your iPod. The Pebble uses a magnetic charger which gives it a seven-day charge and in turn allows it be fully submersible and waterproof. The Pebble will be retailing for $149 and with the new magnetometer installed they hope to include many future updates to it.

The Pebble wasn’t the lone Kickstarter wolf though, the Zooka which appeared on Kickstarter as a wireless Bluetooth speaker for the iPad now introduced a wired version of the speaker. My least favorite is the HAPIfork, which syncs up to your iDevice and alerts you if you’re eating too much or too fast. The last thing I need is my iPhone calling me a chubby bunny! Lastly TidyTilt was back at CES with a booth this year. TidyTilt launched a Kickstarter campaign last year shortly after CES 2012 and quickly exceeded their $10,000 goal. In short TidyTilt gives you a SmartCover-esque back attached via a minimal magnetic strip to your iPhone. The back can then be folded into a stand for your iPhone or wrap your ear buds around it and you have a nice clean way to keep your chords from getting tangled. You can grab the original version for the iPhone 4/4s for $22.50 here. That’s all folks for Day 4 of CES 2013!